The Demoneye Scarabfish (Scarabovenator potens) is a species of Scarabicephalid Armadilloarmatid Ichthyomorph from the seasonal waters of the Leviathan Islands' archipelago.

The large creature inhabits the open waters between the islands, filling similar niches as some sharks did on Earth.

The jaw, shaped to partially cover the maxilla, is developed to deliver the most crushing force possible, easily snapping the bones in sections wherever it forces it to unnaturally bend inwards.

The down-pointing head helps the predator look for prey below, while the fused dorsal armour functions as both a protective shield from attacks by other conspecifics or during the mating season to spar for dominance.

Contrary to other Ichthyomorphs, the dorsal armour in Scarabfishes overlaps with the cranial armour, avoiding the back of the neck from being exposed and allowing the animal better mobility of the head as the two plates slide comfortably between each other and don't cause too much encumbrance on the animal.

The massive size of the animal, coupled with the heavy armour, make this species particularly heavy and slow, only being able to sustain faster swimming speeds for brief periods.

During the mating season, males will often spar with one another for the right to a territory, charging head down and clashing their armour together until one of the two surrenders and flees the area (sometimes fights can escalate but it's uncommon).

A dominant male will produce strong, rhythmical claps by hitting the cranial and dorsal armour together repeatedly, scaring off smaller males and affirming undisputed claim on the territory until it finds a mate.

More info can be found here:

www.worldanvil.com/w/nijin-kon…